Setting the record straight on Salesforce.com's "advantage"!

Posted by Kara O'Brien on March 22, 2011 in   |  Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011  |  Comments (10)

Our friends at Salesforce.com recently published a comparison between their product and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 that has us wondering if they've even taken a look at their competition lately. The comparison of features is not just skewed; it's wrong.

And we'll show you how, feature for feature. But first, it's worth noting that Salesforce.com is comparing its entire product portfolio to just Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011--Hardly fair, since both CRM products rely on related technologies to provide the full feature set included in Salesforce's comparison. One of the biggest strengths of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is that it's part of the Microsoft stack, making it straightforward for technology teams to implement and quick for users to learn. By ignoring this benefit, Salesforce.com tilts the playing field, since the features they've highlighted rely on their Chatter product as well as other add-ons.

Salesforce's comparison visually makes the claim that several key features included in their software applications are NOT included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. This is simply not true, and here's why:

Feature #1: Real-time feeds
	Business Requirement: Show up-to-date information to users as soon as it is available. Feeds are just one format for surfacing the information; e-mail notifications and follow-up activities can also be used to meet this requirement. In fact, some users prefer to receive e-mail alerts as information is updated or milestones are reached, rather than viewing that information in a separate newsfeed application. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011's powerful workflow processes make it easy to configure alerts when important information is entered or updated. What's more, those alerts can be sent as e-mails to the relevant users or scheduled as follow-up activities, based on your users' preferences. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 also supports the needs of those users who would rather see a newsfeed of alerts and updates. We at Sonoma Partners created Vibe, which presents CRM data in newsfeed format and is available as a free download from this site. Learn More: - Read about the technology behind Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 processes. - Watch a demo of our Vibe solution.
Feature #2: Group collaboration
	Business Requirement: Improve communication among key team members or decision makers. The collaboration functionality described in Salesforce.com's comparison is specific to Chatter, their Facebook-like add-on. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: As a leader in group collaboration tools, Microsoft has a small arsenal of products that integrate with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Most notably, applications like SharePoint, Outlook and Lync are typically used by organizations implementing Microsoft Dynamic CRM, making collaboration seamless. Additionally, there are partner-created solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 that provide Facebook-like collaboration with CRM data. We've already mentioned Vibe, which provides a forum for users to view and collaborate with the data most relevant to them. Other Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners also offer social CRM add-on capabilities. Learn More: - Watch a demo of how Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 uses group collaboration tools to drive sales productivity. - Also, check out our comparison of Vibe to Chatter.
Feature #3: Mobile support
	Business Requirement: View and update CRM data from mobile devices. Salesforce.com's comparison lists iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android as their supported mobile platforms. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 supports all of these, as well as Windows Phone. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: All versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM include Mobile Express, which provides mobile functionality on all HTML 4.0-compliant devices. There is no additional charge for Mobile Express. Additionally, there are several solutions from partners like CWR Mobility, TenDigits and iEnterprises that provide additional mobile functionality for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Although there is an additional charge for these solutions, many of them are more affordable than similar mobile client add-ons for Salesforce.com. Learn More: - Take a look at Microsoft’s fact sheet for more information about Mobile Express. - Visit the sites for CWR Mobility, Ten Digits and iEnterprises for more information about their products.
Feature #4: E-mail support
	Business Requirement: Integrate CRM data with e-mail software, so users can view and update CRM data within the e-mail application. Salesforce.com's comparison lists Outlook, Gmail and Lotus Notes as example e-mail applications. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: We'll admit, Salesforce.com has Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 beat when it comes to integrating with Gmail and Lotus Notes--but without a doubt, no other CRM software integrates better with Outlook than Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011! You can track e-mail, contacts and appointments and access CRM data, including dashboards. If you really need to connect your CRM system with Lotus Notes and Novell Groupwise, LinkPoint360 has an offering that integrate these legacy mail systems with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Learn More: - Watch a demo of the Outlook client for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
Feature #5: Collaborative analytics
	Business Requirement: This is an interesting one. Salesforce.com boasts that Chatter will allow users to collaborate on analytics. Beyond the scary security implications of copying/pasting static charts, we're not sure this is a compelling benefit for end users. We find that what customers really want is the ability to tailor the reports that each user sees, so sensitive data is viewable only by the appropriate users and users aren’t overwhelmed with a long list of reports. There's no shortage of data to look at and comment on. However the key business value of analytics is to inform the right users so they can make good decisions quickly. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 includes dashboards, which users can share with other users and teams. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011’s robust security model also means the shared data is only shown to users who have permission to see it. Salesforce.com cannot make the same claim about security on shared analytics. Learn More: - See how easy it is to configure dashboards in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Feature #6: Up-to-date contacts
	Business Requirement: Keep prospect and contact data up to date and make it clear to users when these changes occur. Often, prospect and contact records are created and updated by integrating with third-party contact databases. Keeping data current is a challenge in every CRM system. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: CRM 2011 provides several solutions for maintaining prospect and contact data, including the Windows Azure DataMarket and add-ons from partners like Hoover's, InsideView and ZoomInfo. These partners provide a significantly wider reach across geographies and industries than similar solutions for Salesforce.com, often for a lower cost. Learn More: - Visit the product sites to learn more about the CRM integration products from Hoover's, Inside View and ZoomInfo. - Browse the Windows Azure DataMarket for data applications from Acxiom, Dun & Bradstreet, Esri and more.
Feature #7: Customize with clicks
	Business Requirement: Make it easy to automate processes and change the labels for record types, tabs and fields--without requiring any coding. How Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Delivers: Salesforce.com saved their most outlandish claim for last. To say that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 doesn't include customization functionality isn't just wrong--it's ridiculous! All versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM include customization features, allowing you to change the forms, fields, views and other application areas without requiring any programming skills. Coupled with the programming framework included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, the level of customization available is advanced, allowing you to extend the application from a basic CRM system to a highly customized business solution. Learn More: - Watch a demo of customizing the Account form in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 with just clicks (no programming!).

There are a lot of great new features in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, but many of the features listed above aren't new. So is Salesforce.com's comparison chart a result of the heat they're feeling with the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, or the power of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform in general? Feature by feature, both applications address the business requirements, but in different ways--so make sure you understand the needs of your organization and find the solution that's right for you. We're biased of course, but we think that you might find that Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the right choice for your business!

Convergence 2011 - Microsoft Concept Box Sessions

Posted by Jim Steger on March 16, 2011  |  Comments (0)

Convergence 2011 is only 4 weeks away. If you are attending, the Microsoft CRM R&D team has set up a few exciting feedback sessions (which they are calling Concept Box Sessions) for YOU to provide direct feedback on the future of the product to the team responsible for it.

To participate in any of the sessions, please contact: James.Johnston@microsoft.com and make sure you RSVP early, as there are limited slots for these exciting sessions.

Here is the invite from Microsoft:

Dear Convergence 2011 Attendees,

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team are enthusiastically looking forward to meeting you at Convergence 2011, sharing with you some of our ideas and aspirations for future versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and, as always, learning from you, your experiences, your needs, and your insights during our Concept Box Sessions.

Concept Box Sessions: Influence, Insight, Shape

Between Sunday, April 10^th and Wednesday, April 13^th members of the CRM Research and Development Team will be hosting a series of discussion groups and forward-looking research sessions at the Atlanta Convention Center.  During these sessions, we will present sketches and ideas designed to improve the future Microsoft Dynamics CRM; we invite you to review and critique designs and present your important scenarios, your business needs and processes, so that you can directly influence our direction in a wide array of areas.  *These sessions are limited in size, so please respond early.*

Gratuity & Non-Disclosure Agreement
Participants in each Discussion Group will receive a Microsoft gratuity which must be mailed to a U.S. address.  We will have a list of gratuity choices available for you at the sessions.  We will also ask you to sign a standard Microsoft Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) so that we can confidentially share our ideas and present our thinking.

 

Audience
These Microsoft Dynamics CRM Discussion Groups are open to ALL Convergence 2011 Attendees who want to learn about and influence the future of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

• End Users – (for example) Sales Professional, Marketing Professional, Customer Service Representative

• Business Decision Makers – (for example) Sales Managers, Marketing Managers, Service Managers

• Partners, IT Experts, Developers – (for example) Implementation Partner, Solution Developer, IT Managers

Where
All sessions will be in the Atlanta Convention Center, Room A-301.

 

Participation
Please review the session titles and RSVP directly to me (James.Johnston@microsoft.com) your preferred Concept Box Sessions; I will send you an email invitation confirming the session date(s) and time(s): Some Sessions will be repeated so that we can accommodate your schedules at Convergence 2011.

These discussions and research sessions are specifically designed to collect feedback from our customers, users, developers, and partners on our future thinking and aspirations for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  All Convergence 2011 attendees are welcome regardless of your product focus.   If you are interested in learning more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online and On Premise, our most recent CRM releases, we encourage you to take advantage of the other generally available and informative Microsoft Dynamics CRM sessions during Convergence 2011.

Thank you, as always, for the privilege of learning from your distinctive insights and constructive feedback as well as envisioning with us an evolving Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  We are eager to welcome you and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team

I. Sunday (Josh Chang)—1:30-2:45— Tomorrow’s Communication and Collaboration Experience

Concept Box:
Join us to review and critique User Interface experiences for seeing business contact feeds, social graphs for business connections, sharing business contact information with your colleagues!

II. Monday (Manisha Powar)—11-12:15—Sales Force Automation

Concept Box:
Sales Force Automation, an extensively interesting domain, will best grow when the R&D Team listens to you, understands your experiences, focuses on your scenarios, discusses with you their current thinking and appreciates your feedback. 

Please join this multifaceted Concept Box Session, review early storyboards, and help us hone our work.

Each of these 3 Sessions will have different perspectives: Please join us for any one or all!

III. Monday (Sandhya Vankamamidi)—1:30-2:45— Integrated Agent Desktop

Concept Box:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s Agent Desktop aims to increase agent effectiveness by unifying data and legacy applications while guiding agents through their workflows. Review the integrated Lync experience designed to provide Customer Care Agents with contextual collaboration.

Come to this session to learn about our nextGen Integrated Agent Desktop thinking and shape the product with your valuable feedback.

IV. Monday (Josh Chang)—3-4:15—On Premise to Online Migration  Experience

Concept Box:
Are you an On Premise Customer or a hosting partner?  Are you interested in upgrading to the cloud?  Why or why not? Guide Our Envisioning as we consider together the opportunities, approaches, challenges, and scenarios faced in the IT Admin experience of moving from an On Premise to and Online version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Please join this multifaceted Concept Box Session, review early thoughts (perhaps storyboards), and help us design the experience.

V. Monday (Steven Kaplan)—4:30-5:15—Social Customer Care—Making Your Customer Your Best Friend?

Concept Box:
As more conversations about your business happen through the Social Web, Facebook and Twitter for example, Customer Service Organizations are exploring these channels as ways of delivering new types of service.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM aims to help Customer Service Organizations by enabling you to LISTEN, PARTICIPATE, and ANALYZE the conversations from the Social Web, integrate the Social Web Learnings into the traditional Customer Service Organization to deliver more fun and personalized customer interactions.

Come to this Concept Box Session to INFLUENCE our roadmap for “social customer care.”

VI. Tuesday (Manisha Powar)—9-10:15—Sales Force Automation

Concept Box:
Sales Force Automation, an extensively interesting domain, will best grow when the R&D Team listens to you, understands your experiences, focuses on your scenarios, discusses with you their current thinking and appreciates your feedback. 

Please join this multifaceted Concept Box Session, review early storyboards, and help us hone our work.

Each of these 3 Sales Force Automation Sessions will have different perspectives: Please join us for any one or all!

VII. Tuesday (Josh Chang)—10:30-11:45—Online Organizational Management Scenario Building

Concept Box:
Organizational Management Scenarios, such as user management and other scenarios are core to this session during which we will request your feedback and critiques.  This will be a broad and open-ended discussion with an Online expert to address topics of importance to you and us.

Please join this Concept Box Session, review early storyboards, and brainstorm with us on organizational management scenarios.

VIII. Tuesday (Sandhya Vankamamidi)—1:30-2:45—Integrated Agent Desktop

Concept Box:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s Agent Desktop aims to increase agent effectiveness by unifying data and legacy applications while guiding agents through their workflows. Review the integrated Lync experience designed to provide Customer Care Agents with contextual collaboration.

Come to this session to learn about our nextGen Integrated Agent Desktop thinking and shape the product with your valuable feedback.

IX. Tuesday (Manisha Powar)—3:15-4:30—Sales Force Automation

Concept Box:
Sales Force Automation, an extensively interesting domain, will best grow when the R&D Team listens to you, understands your experiences, focuses on your scenarios, discusses with you their current thinking and appreciates your feedback. 

Please join this multifaceted Concept Box Session, review early storyboards, and help us hone our work.

Each of these 3 Sales Force Automation Sessions will have different perspectives: Please join us for any one or all!

X. Tuesday (Michael Guthmann)—4:45-6—EMPOWERING the IT Pro in the Cloud

Concept Box:
IT is shifting to the Cloud but are still crucial in managing Cloud (Online) services.  Please guide our investments for the IT Pro in CRM Online by joining us and providing feedback that will allow us to EMPOWER your future work and shape our future direction.

XI. Wednesday (Josh Chang)—10:45-Noon-- On Premise to Online Migration  Experience

Concept Box:
Are you an On Premise Customer or a hosting partner?  Are you interested in upgrading to the cloud?  Why or why not? Guide Our Envisioning as we consider together the opportunities, approaches, challenges, and scenarios faced in the IT Admin experience of moving from an On Premise to and Online version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Please join this multifaceted Concept Box Session, review early thoughts (perhaps storyboards), and help us design the experience.